Bio

First elected to Congress in 1992, Carolyn B. Maloney is recognized as a national leader with extensive accomplishments on financial services, national security, the economy, and women's issues. She is a senior member of both the House Financial Services Committee (where she serves as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Capital Markets) and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and the Ranking House member of the Joint Economic Committee. In the House Democratic Caucus, she serves as a Regional Whip (she served as Vice-Chair of the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee in the 112th Congress). Maloney has authored and passed more than 70 measures, either as stand-alone bills or as language incorporated into larger bills. Ten bills Maloney authored or co-authored were signed into law at formal Presidential Signing Ceremonies, either as a standalone bill or part of a larger bill.

Her career has been a series of firsts. Maloney is the first woman to represent New York's 12th Congressional District; the first woman to represent New York City's 7th Councilmanic district (where she was the first woman to give birth while in office); and was the first woman to Chair the Joint Economic Committee, a House and Senate panel that examines and addresses the nation's most pressing economic issues. Only 18 women in history have chaired Congressional committees.

On the House Financial Services Committee, she has worked to modernize financial services laws and regulations, strengthen consumer protections, and institute more vigilant oversight of the safety and soundness of our nation's banking industry. In the 114th Congress, she was selected by her Committee colleagues to be Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises. She continues her membership on the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit (which she chaired in the 109th and 110th Congresses, and where she served as Ranking Member in the 112th Congress), and joins the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

Maloney served on the historic conference committee for the Dodd-Frank financial reforms, which also created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Her Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights (the Credit CARD Act) was signed into law by President Obama in Spring of 2009. As a senior member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Maloney legislation has helped government work more efficiently and has saved hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars.
As co-founder of the House 9/11 Commission Caucus, Maloney helped author and pass legislation which created the 9/11 Commission and, later, to implement all of the 9/11 Commission's recommendations for improving intelligence gathering-described as the most influential intelligence bill in decades. The James Zadroga 9/11 Health Care and Compensation Act, her bill to provide health care and compensation for 9/11 first responders, residents and workers near Ground Zero passed Congress in late 2010 was signed into law by President Obama January 2, 2011. The Zadroga Act's World Trade Center Health Program was permanently extended, and an additional $4.6 billion was provided to fully fund the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016 signed into law December 18, 2015.

A champion for domestic and international women's issues, Maloney helped pass legislation that targets the 'demand' side of sex trafficking; provides annual mammograms for women on Medicare; the Debbie Smith Act which increases funding for law enforcement to process DNA rape kits, termed 'the most important anti-rape legislation in history.' Her legislation to create Women's Health Offices in five Federal agencies was part of the landmark health care reform legislation signed by President Obama. Maloney is currently a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Maloney attained a first degree black belt in Taekwondo in January, 2007.

Maloney has received the Military Order of the Purple Heart, For Meritorious and Conspicuous Service for Veterans, the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association's (NFPRHA) Distinguished Public Service Award, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the Hadassah Myrtle Wreath Award, Peace Action's Global Peace Award, the Queens Women's Political Caucus's Queens Women of Distinction Award and the Healthy Mothers, Health Babies's 2000 Special Impact Award. Maloney was the Grand Marshal of New York's Greek Independence Day Parade in 1996 and 2001.
After graduating from Greensboro College, Maloney worked for several years as a teacher and an administrator for the New York City Board of Education. In 1977, she went to work for the New York State legislature and held senior staff positions in both the State Assembly and the State Senate. In 1982, Maloney ran for public office for the first time and defeated an incumbent to win a seat on the New York City Council.

In her ten years on the Council, Maloney fought to eliminate waste and fraud in government. She was also the principal author of the landmark New York City Campaign Finance Act. Maloney also became a champion of women's, family, and children's issues.

The first Council member to give birth while in office. Congresswoman Maloney lives in New York City. She has two grown daughters, Christina and Virginia.
Maloney lost her husband, Clifton H.W. Maloney, in 2009 when he passed away after summiting Cho Oyu Mountain in China. They had been married for 26 years.